Questions
by FlyingPigMonkey
Summary: Drabble. For the Snakes and Ladders Challenge. Raising Teddy, Harry always dreaded the day he would have to answer the tough questions.


Teddy was four the first time he asked Harry about his parents. The boy was raised always knowing that he had parents, always seeing their pictures over the mantle piece and scattered throughout Grimmauld Place. He knew that they loved him and would be with him if they could, but Harry always figured he would save the hard discussion of why the boy had to grow up without a mother and father until he was much older. However, coming home from his first day at a wizard daycare, Teddy didn't seem to want to talk about anything else after seeing all the other children getting pick up they their own parents.

"Harry, where are Mummy and Daddy?"

"Well, uh-they...they are in a better place."

"Where's that?"

"Uhh...it's a beautiful place that-that everyone goes to one day."

"Is it because I was bad?"

"No! No, of course not! Teddy, your mummy and daddy love you so much. If they could, they would be with you every day, but they can't."

"Why not?"

"Because they can't come back from the beautiful place they went to. Now come on, how about we get you some ice cream? Mrs. Glendale said you were very good today."

Whenever the young boy's questions started veering towards answers that Harry knew he wasn't ready for, he could always distract him with toys or snacks. But as the boy grew older and started hearing more stories from primary school and other people who recognized his name, he started demanding more than the normal superficial answers.

"They're dead."

"Who's dead?"

"My parents."

"Oh shit,"

"Why didn't you just tell me? Why keep feeding me the same bullshit about being in a 'better place' that I've heard all my life?"

"Teddy, please calm down-"

"WHY? So you can lie to me some more? I've heard so many stories about them that I don't know what to believe anymore!"

"I'm so sorry I kept it from you for so long, but I didn't think you were ready."

"Isn't that something I should able to decide for myself? I'm thirteen fucking years old!"

"Hey, watch your language! I said I was sorry, now if you can just calm down I can tell you everything you want to know."

"Why bother? It will just be more lies!"

After that argument Teddy began shutting himself away in his room whenever he was home. While at Hogwarts he never wrote home and stayed at school over Christmas break. While Harry knew that much of the boys anger was being amplified by his teenage hormones, he also knew he had mess up hugely by not explaining what had happened to the Lupins before Teddy's first year at Hogwarts. For now all he could do was try to atone for his mistake and continue to send his love to the boy, even though he no longer got it in return.

The pattern continued the rest of Teddy's third year and into the summer, spending his days with his friends and his nights looked away in his room. By the end of break Harry was starting to loose hope of ever getting through to his godson again.

Teddy left on the train without a glance back, though much of his anger was long gone leaving hurt and disappointment in his guardian. He couldn't understand why Harry would have kept something as important as his parents death from him. However he didn't have to wait long to hear why. His first meeting with his History of Magic class, Professor Granger outlined what would be covered this year: the Second Wizarding War. His interest was peaked, and Teddy had no more trouble staying awake in class.

Actually hearing from a credible source about the Muggle killing, the hunting of Muggleborns, how deep the corruption spread into the Ministry and even Hogwarts, it opened the young man's eyes to just how unprepared he was to hear the details. However now that he'd had a taste, he had to know it all. He had to hear the story of how his parents died.

To Harry's pleasant surprise, his god son came home for Christmas that year. While the boy was still quiet, he no longer hid himself away and he began answering when he was spoken to. They had plans of spending Christmas day with the Weasley's, but Christmas Eve was all theirs. It was then that Teddy finally approached him.

"I'm sorry for getting so upset. I know now that you were just trying to protect me."

"Don't worry, I understand. And I'm sorry for not believing you were ready."

"You're right, I'm not ready. But we've been talking about the war in class this year,"

"Yes, Hermione mentioned that in a letter,"

"So now I need to hear what happened to my Mum and Dad."

"Are you sure?"

"No, but I need to know."

"Okay then. It happened during the Battle of Hogwarts, have you covered that in class yet?"

"No, not yet."

"Well, if you have any questions about that or the rest of the war I can answer them the best I can. But anyway, you were only a couple weeks old and I believe leaving you with your grandmother was one of the hardest things your parents ever did. But they were so very brave and it was an honor to fight along side them."


End file.
